Overview
- A virtual pretrial hearing in the state murder case was sealed at the defense's request on Wednesday, and Judge Gregory Carro gave no public explanation for barring the press and public.
- At a May 18 hearing the judge ruled a 3D‑printed pistol, a 3D‑printed silencer, and a red notebook may be used as state-court evidence while suppressing items such as a phone, passport, magazines, a wallet and a computer chip.
- Prosecutors say the 3D‑printed gun matches the weapon seen on surveillance video of the Dec. 4, 2024, killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and that the notebook contains anti‑insurer language suggesting a motive.
- Reporters and news organizations protested the sealing after earlier episodes in which court staff limited press access, and the judge has scheduled an in‑person, public hearing for June 16 to address the matters that were discussed in private.
- Mangione has pleaded not guilty in separate state and federal cases, with the New York trial set for September and a federal trial in October, and legal experts warn high publicity and intensely contested evidence will make jury selection and public confidence central issues at trial.